International

More than 50 people killed as Israel strikes Rafah overnight

At least 52 people were killed in heavy air strikes on densely crowded Rafah in southern Gaza before dawn on Monday, February 12, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, writes Le Monde.

Witnesses report hearing an intense series of strikes and saw smoke billowing above the city, which now hosts more than half of Gaza's total population after they fled bombardment elsewhere on the Strip. The strikes hit 14 houses and three mosques in different parts of Rafah, according to the Hamas government.

The Israeli military said in a statement on Monday that it had "conducted a series of strikes on terror targets in the area of Shaboura in the southern Gaza Strip", adding that the strikes had concluded. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his army to prepare a ground offensive on Rafah, Gaza's last major population center that troops have yet to enter after Hamas's October 7 attacks sparked the war.

About 1.4 million Palestinians have crowded into Rafah, with many living in tents while food, water and medicine are becoming increasingly scarce.

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Over 200,000 saplings planted as part of the "Forest Generation" campaign
Social

Over 200,000 saplings planted as part of the "Forest Generation" campaign

The afforestation campaign started today in the village of Mălăiesti, Orhei district. More than 600 government employees, Moldsilva workers, and volunteers participated in planting trees. Throughout the day, over 200,000 saplings, including red oak, maple, ash, and acacia, were planted on over 40 hectares. This initiative is part of the national "Forest Generation" campaign, launched in 2023, which aims to rehabilitate degraded forest areas and create new forests by 2032. The goal is to increase the afforestation rate from the current 12% to 15%.

Next steps in the Republic of Moldova's accession process to the EU were discussed by Anca Dragu and Jānis Mažeiks
Political

Next steps in the Republic of Moldova's accession process to the EU were discussed by Anca Dragu and Jānis Mažeiks

The governor of the National Bank of Romania, Anca Dragu, met with Jānis Mažeiks, the head of the Deleation of the European Union in Chișinău, to review the main recommendations from this year's EU Enlargement Report regarding Moldova. They focused on actions needed to meet the EU accession criteria.

Russia stops natural gas supplies to Austria. Gazprom, unhappy that it was forced to pay fines of 230 million euros
International

Russia stops natural gas supplies to Austria. Gazprom, unhappy that it was forced to pay fines of 230 million euros

Russia stopped natural gas supplies to Austria this morning. Gazprom, the energy giant in Russia, is unhappy that it was forced to pay fines of 230 million euros for non-compliance with contractual provisions, writes Euronews. The announcement was made by the Austrian company, which manages the gas transportation network.